Western N.C. lab certified to process Coggins tests

Horse owners in the western part of the state will be able to get Coggins test results more quickly now that blood samples can be sent to the Western Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Arden for testing.

Proof of a negative Coggins test is required by law to participate in equine activities, such as organized trail rides and horse shows, equine boarding, inter-state animal movement and the sale of horses and donkeys.

“By adding this capability to the Arden Lab, we are responding to the request of equine owners in Western North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Veterinarians can now submit blood samples locally rather than shipping them to Raleigh or another lab, and have test results back in about 48 hours.”

Technicians at WADDL were trained and certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The Coggins test detects exposure to Equine Infectious Anemia, a devastating, infectious disease for which there is no vaccine and no cure. EIA can be spread easily among horses, donkeys and mules, and is often fatal, so it is important that movement of EIA-positive equine be limited.

The Western Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is one of five laboratories in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System. The system was given full accreditation status in 2008 by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, meeting or exceeding rigorous standards based on those of the International Standards Organization (ISO 17025) and the World Organization for Animal Health.